1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for reproducing a digital signal and, more particularly, to an apparatus for reproducing a digital signal which is free from tracking controls.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A digital audio tape recorder using a rotary head (a so-called a DAT or R-DAT) has been developed as an apparatus for recording/reproducing a digital signal. In a normal digital audio tape recorder, an ATF (Automatic Tracking Finding) signal for tracking control is recorded on a tape. In a reproducing mode, the ATF signal is reproduced to control tape travel, i.e., tracking control.
Another conventional apparatus has been proposed in which a digital signal recorded on a tape is reproduced without using the ATF signal (e.g., U.S. patent application No. 87,093 filed on Aug. 19, 1987). Still another conventional apparatus has been proposed wherein tape ravel is controlled based on the method described in Japanese Patent Application No. 62-17970, filed on January 1987.
In the digital signal reproducing apparatus, a rotary head is rotated at a rotational speed twice that of the speed used during the recording mode, and a track address signal and block address signal are detected from the reproduced digital signal. Thus, based on these address signals, reproduced digital data in each block is rewritten into a memory. The digital data written into the memory are read out in a predetermined order, thereby recovering the recorded digital data in an original order.
In order to realize the digital signal reproducing apparatus, the digital data reproduced by the rotary head must be accurately written into the memory. In the digital signal reproducing apparatus using a tape, such as the DAT, tape travel must be controlled.